Spigen has been making phone cases since dinosaurs walked the Earth, and they’re usually one of the first companies to offer cases and screen protectors on new devices. They have a few different styles for different tastes and levels of protection, but my favorite for a few years has been the Rugged Armor series. There are plenty of great cases for the Pixel 2 XL, but Spigen’s Rugged Armor should be on your short list of options.

Spigen Rugged Armor for Google Pixel 2 XL

Price: $ 11.99

Bottom line: This case protects your phone without being too bulky, and doesn’t cost much while doing it.

The Good

The Bad

I — Tom Westrick — have been using the Rugged Armor case for my Pixel 2 XL since I bought that phone in November 2017. I purchased the case with my own money.

Thin but protective

Spigen Rugged Armor What I like

My favorite thing about this case is how much it protects the device. Spigen’s Rugged Armor series have been my go-to cases for a couple years now, because it covers the entire device — minus the screen — without being too bulky. I’ll admit I don’t typically use cases 24/7, only an hour or so a day in the gym or when I’m running. But I’ll put a case on my phone if I’m traveling anywhere, and I had no issues with the bulk of the Rugged Armor cases.

The design is plain, but it works. It’s just a solid piece of rubber, and it does a great job at keeping the device protected. My phone was dropped countless times in airports, gyms, and on street corners with this case on, and the phone and case are no worse for wear.

The case has a generous cutout for the USB-C port, and I had no issues using it with any of my charging cables. The buttons are replicated on the case, which I love because it means I don’t need to dig my fingers in to try and change volume. There’s a cutout for the camera and flash, with no changes to the images or videos I take. Finally, I haven’t had to re-record my fingerprint with this case on.

You can have any color, as long as it’s black

Spigen Rugged Armor What I don’t like

The only downside to the Rugged Armor series is there’s only one color option: black. I don’t personally mind this since I’d buy a black case anyway, but it’d be nice to see blue, red or other colors available for those that want them.

A tried and true choice

Spigen Rugged Armor for Pixel 2 XL

For $ 11, this case is as good as you can get. It protects your device well without being too bulky, and it’s easy to put on and take off if you’re an intermittent case user like I am. This is great for anyone worried about drops, or just want something with a bit more grip than their phone has.

4.5out of 5

I do wish there were more color options, but that won’t stop me from recommending this case to anyone.